A Ryanair pilot was forced into an emergency landing after plane hits severe turbulence in a weather phenomenon known as a “supercell” leaving several hurt including a child on the flight from Berlin to Milan
Nine people – including a two-year-old child and a crew member – were injured last night after a Ryanair flight was forced to make an emergency landing. The plane flew into a severe thunderstorm leaving passengers terrified. The pilot announced he was aborting the flight and immediately landing at the nearest airport. One passenger described the scenes as “chaotic and dangerous”.
The Ryanair jet had 185 people on board when it was hit by extreme turbulence over southern Germany. It was flying from the German capital Berlin to the Italian city Milan when the pilot made emergency landing at Memmingen Airport in Bavaria. A spokesman for the German authorities said that nine people were injured, including one crew member and a two-year-old child.
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The toddler suffered bruising, one woman had a head wound and another passenger had back injuries. The three injured were taken to hospital. Emergency services were immediately deployed on site at the airport.
Passengers could not continue their journey by air as the regional flight authority banned further take-off. Ryanair arranged buses to complete the journey. Ryanair flight FR8 had left Brandenburg airport in Berlin heading to Malpensa in Milan.
Experts said the plane encountered a “supercell” – a highly dangerous rotating thunderstorm. Supercells can span up to 30 miles across, with tornado-like winds inside An analysis of Flightradar24 data showed an abrupt course change toward Memmingen during the flight. The German weather service had issued severe storm warnings, with threats of hail and storm gusts.
In nearby Ulm, a tornado tore roofs off houses across multiple streets. The weather conditions in the German regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg were terrible last night. Firefighters responded to dozens of emergencies. German Police and Ryanair are expected to make statements later this morning